Automatic bailer



United States Patent Patented Dec. 29, 1970 AUTOMATIC BAILER 11 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 114/183 B63b 13/00 Field ofSearch 114/183, 184, 185. 197

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,079,627 11/1913 Adams 114/197 7/1968 Mayer.... 114/183 Primary ExaminerAndrew H. Farrell Attorney-John E. McGarry ABSTRACT: This disclosure relates to automatic boat baileis or drain checks, preferably of the type which can be attached to the back wall of a boat. In one embodiment, the bailer has a rubber-like seat member fixed to the outside of the boat, a casing surrounding the seat member in snap-fit engagement therewith, and a ball valve member within the casing. A valve seat is formed in the seat member and a cage for the ball valve is formed in the casing. A conduit extends through the back of the seat member and through the bottom front of the casing to permit water to pass out of the boat through the bailer as the boat moves forward through the water.

In a second embodiment, a bailer has a seat member, fixed to the inside back wall of a boat and a casing which surrounds the seat member in snap-fit engagement therewith. A conduit extends through the seat member and through the bottom front portion of the casing. Check valve means including a ball valve member are provided within the casing to permit flow of water out of the boat only.

PATENTEUIJEBZSIQYB 3,550,548

SHEET 1 OF 2 INVENT OR Mg 5 JOHN LDEPERSIA BY M, Wf

ATTORNEY 5 PATENTED UEC29 I975 SHEET 2 BF 2 INVENTOR JOHN L. DE PERSIA ATTORNEYS AUTOMATIC BAILER DISCLOSURE This invention relates to automatic boat bailers. In one of its aspects, the invention relates to an automatic boat bailer or drain check comprising a seat member and a casing fixed to the seat member in snap-fit engagement therewith, conduit means formed through the seat member and casing, and check valve means within the conduit to permit the flow of water through the seat member in one direction only.

In another of its aspects, the invention relates to an automatic boat bailer fixed to the inside of a boat back wall or transom wherein a seat member has a conduit extending therethrough and forms a check valve seat at a front portion of the conduit for a ball valve member positioned within the conduit.

In still anotherof its aspects, the invention relates to an automatic boat bailer attachable to the outside back wall of a boat wherein a seat member, of deformable and resilient material, has a relatively flat back portion which is attachable directly to the back wall of a boat, the seat member has a conduit formed therethrough from the back wall portion and terminating in a valve seat, a casing is fixed to the seat member in snap-fit engagement therewith at an outer portion thereof, the casing forming a cage, and a ball valve within a casing forming a check valve means to permit passage of water only from the interior of the boat out through the seat member and easing.

DePersia US. Pat. No. 2,772,648 discloses and claims an automatic boat trailer positioned on the bottom of a boat for withdrawing water from the boat bilge by means of suction created by movement of the boat through the water. The bailer has a housing with an upstanding pipe section, a rounded nose and a rear face sloping upwardly and outwardly from the bottom to the top. The housing has a check valve to permit water to pass down the pipe and out through the rear face as the boat moves forwardly through the water. A plug in the pipe section is movable into and out of the pipe to close off inlet ports in the pipe when the boat is moored.

l have now discovered a bailer which can be attached to the back wall of a boat by using a resilient seat member and a casing in snap-fit engagement with the seat member, and a check valve within a conduit through the seat member and the cas- By various aspects of this invention, one or more of the following, or other, objects can be obtained.

It is an object of this invent-ion to provide an efficient automatic bailer for boats which is attachable to the back wall of a boat.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an automatic bailer of simple and inexpensive construction attachable to the inside back wall of a boat.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide an automatic bailer attachable to the outside back wall of a boat.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an automatic bailer of inexpensive construction, which bailer is simply and easily fixed to the back of a boat.

Other aspects, objects,'andthe several advantages of this invention are apparent to one skilled in the art from a study of this disclosure, the drawings, and the appended claims.

According to the invention, there is provided an automatic boat bailer attachable to a back wall of a boat. The bailer has a deformable and resilient seat member with a relatively flat back wall portion adapted to abut the back wall of a boat in sealing engagement therewith. A casing surrounds the seat member in snap-fit engagement'therewith, and a conduit is formed in the seat member and the casing. The conduit extends from the back wall portion of the seat member through the seat member and terminates in an opening at the front bottom portion of the casing. Check valve means are formed in the conduit to permit the passage of water in one direction through the conduit and to prevent the passage of water in an opposite direction through the conduit.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a first embodiment of the invention as positioned on the outside of the hull of a boat when the boat is in the standing or moored position;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 taken along lines II-II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view like FIG. 1, illustrating the operation of the bailer as the boat is moving forwardly;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view ofa second embodiment of the invention, with the device fixed to the inside of a boat hull;

FIG. 5 is an end view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4; and,

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along lines VI-Vl of FIG. 4.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 in particular, an automatic boat bailer or drain check 12 is shown fixed to the outer back wall or transom l4 ofa boat hull. A drain tube 18 is shown extendingfrom the interior 16 of the boat into the bailer 12. The bailer is made from a molded rubber seat 20, which is fixed to the boat through a plurality of wood screws 22, a ball check valve 24, and an outer casing 26. Other fastening means such as waterproof adhesive cement can be used to fit the rubber seat 20 to the back of the boat.

The molded rubber seat 20 has a flat back portion 28 through which the rubber seat 20 is fixed to the boat by the wood screws 22. An indented annular slot 30 is formed in the outside edge of the flat back portion 28. An outwardly extending lip 32, having an outwardly and upwardly extending upper portion 34, forms a check valve seat for the ball check valve 24.

The outwardly extending lip surrounds a drain hole 38 formed in the molded rubber seat 20.

The outer casing 26 has a continuous inwardly directed flange 36 which is snapfit into the indented annular slot 30. A drain hole 39 is formed in the lower outer portion of the outer casing 26 which is generally frustroconically shaped. An air pocket 40 is formed in the upper portion of the interior of the outer casing 26 when the boat is at rest as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. In this position, the check valve 24 is forced against the seat 34 to prevent water from entering the boat through the drain tube 18.

When the boat begins forward movement, the water level at the back of the boat drops below the drain hole 39. This allows the flow of water from the interior of the boat through the drain tube 18 and forces the ball check valve 24 into the position illustrated in FIG. 3. In this manner, the water within the boat is automatically drained as the boat moves forward.

Referring now specifically to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, an embodi ment of the invention is illustrated which can be used within the interior of the boat. The interior embodiment 50 has a molded rubber seat 52 which is fixed to the inside wall of the back wall 14 of the boat hull through wood screws 22 or other suitable fastening means. The molded rubber seat 52 has an upper cavity 53 and an indented slot 58 which substantially surrounds the outer portion of the seat 52 with the exception of the bottom portion at which the slot extends laterally at 60. The molded rubber seat 52 has an opening 66 forming a lip for seating the ball check valve 24.

An outer casing 54 is provided to give rigidity to the molded rubber seat 52. The outer casing 54 has an inwardly directed flange 62 which corresponds to the indented slot 58. A laterally extending hook portion 64 is positioned with the laterally extending lowerportion 60 of the indented slot 58. An opening 66 is formed in the bottom of the outer casing 54 to permit water to pass therethrough.

In the moored or standing position, the ball check valve 24 would be in the position illustrated in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6. In this position, the ball check valve would prevent water from entering the boat through the drain tube 18. As the boat starts its forward movement, the fall of the water level at the outer end of drain tube 18 releases the ball check valve from the seat and permits movement of the ball check valve 24 to the position shown in phantom lines in FIG. 4, within the cavity 53. In this position, the waterwithin the boat can flow through the opening 66 and through the drain tube 18.

The ball check valve can be made of any suitable plastic material such as polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon and the like.

The molded rubber seat can be made from any suitable soft moldable and deformable material such as neoprene and other synthetic rubbers as well as natural rubbers.

The cover or outer casing can be molded from any suitable plastic material also. The plastic materials include polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride and copolymers thereof, acrylonitrile-butadien-styrene. and thermosetting materials.

Reasonable variation and modification are possible within the scope of the foregoing disclosure, drawings, and claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

lclaim:

l. A boat bailer attachable to the back wall of a boat, said bailer comprising:

a one-piece deformable and resilient seat member attachable directly to the back wall of a boat, said seat member having a relatively flat back wall portion adapted to abut the back wall of a boat in sealing engagement therewith;

a casing surrounding said seat member in fixed relationship thereto;

a conduit formed in said seat member and said casing, said conduit extending outwardly from said back wall portion of said seat member through said seat member and terminating in an opening at a front bottom portion of said casing; and

check valve means in said conduit to permit passage of water in one direction through said conduit, and to prevent passage of water in an opposite direction through said conduit, said check valve means including a valve seat formed in an outer portion of said seat member.

2. An automatic boat bailer according to claim 1 wherein said check valve means further comprises a cage and a ball valve within said cage, said ball valve adapted to prevent passage of water through said conduit by seating against said valve seat.

3. An automatic boat bailer according to claim 1 wherein said seat member has an indented slot extending peripherally around at least a substantial portion thereof adjacent said back wall portion; and said casing has inwardly directed flanges which snap into engagement with said indentations to hold said casing onto said seat member.

4. A boat having an automatic bailer fixed to a back wall portion thereof, said boat having a drain tube through said back wall at a bottom portion thereof; a bailer fixed to said back wall of said boat at said drain tube so that water passing through said drain tube from the interior to the exterior of said boat must also pass through said bailer; said bailer being constructed according to the structure set forth in claim; said seat member being fixed to said boat in sealing engagement therewith through attaching members which extend through said seat members and into said back wall portion of said boat.

5. A boat bailer attachable to the inside back wall of a boat,

said bailer comprising:

a one-piece deformable and resilient seat member attachable directly to the back wall of a boat. said seat member having a relatively flat back wall portion adapted to abut the back wall of said boat in sealing engagement therewith;

a conduit in said seat member extending from said back wall portion of said seat member outwardly through said seat member and terminating in an opening at a front bottom portion of said seat member, said conduit including a cage formed between the ends of said conduit portion;

a valve seat for said ball valve member formed in said seat member at said front bottom portion so as to prevent passage of water through said conduit from said back wall portion through said from bottom portion of said seat member, and to permit passage of water through said conduit in the opposite direction; and said cage being large enough to permit displacement of the ball valve member away from said valve seat to allow water to pass through said conduit with said ball valve member within said cage.

6. A boat bailer according to claim 5 wherein said seat member has a peripheral slot extending around at least a substantial portion thereof; and a casing surrounds said seat member, said casing having an inwardly directed flange engaging said seat member slot for snap-fit engagement between said casing and said seat member.

7. A boat bailer according to claim 6 wherein said casing is made of a resilient plastic material which maintains the external shape of the seat member.

8. A boat bailer according to claim 6 wherein said deformable material is made of a ru bberlike material.

9. A boat bailer attachable to the outside back wall of a boat. said bailer comprising:

a one-piece deformable and resilient seat member attachable directly to an outside back wall of a boat to form a seal between said back wall and said seat member;

a casing member in snap-fit engagement with said seat member;

a ball valve member;

conduit means through said seat member forming at an outer portion a valve seat for said ball valve member;

said casing forming a cage for said ball valve member and having an opening in a bottom portion thereof; and

said ball valve being positioned within said cage and seatable against said valve seat when water enters said cage through said casing opening to prevent water from passing through said conduit from said casing.

10. A boat bailer according to claim 9 wherein said seat member has a peripheral slot extending around at least a substantial portion thereof; said casing having an inwardly directed flange engaging said slot to hold said casing in snapfit engagement with said seat member.

11. A boat bailer according to claim 9 wherein said casing is made of a flexible and relatively hard plastic material. 

